SOME EXAMPLES OF BLOCKS TO HELP INSPIRE YOU TO HELP ME FINISH THE QUILT TO TAKE HOME IN 2010

The Hamefarin logo block was made by scanning the logo onto the computer and printing it out onto paper backed fabric. A normal ink jet printer works well. The actual block is 9 ¼” x 7 ¾” and is made up to 10” square by adding borders to match the bindings. It is quilted around each element of the sky, land and sea.

ANN HILL - My own block represents my involvement in music when I lived in . I grew up in Lerwick at the tender age of 7 joined Bella and Barrie Hunter’s choir and Scottish country dancing team. Bella Hunter (later married to Robert Hawick) played a huge part in the lives of girls bringing us together every Friday night and Saturday afternoon to practice our singing and dancing. We played concerts around Shetland and regularly visited the old folks homes. As an adult I sang with Jim Halcrow’s dance band until leaving Shetland in 1981 when I married David Hill, a doctor at the Gilbert Bain Hospital. The pattern on the block represents the eightsome reel which is one of our favourite dances. It is made from using 2 fabrics in four 3 ½” squares which then measure 6 ½” finished. This is bordered with two fabrics to bring it up to the 10” square. It is quilted “in the ditch” throughout and the dancing slippers are hand appliqued. I now live in Mouswald, Dumfries.

LESLEY STUART-GAMMIE - Urd, Skuld and Verdanda (past, present and future) – The Three Nornes is made by using bondaweb, a double sided paper based glue fabric which bonds two materials together. The satin stitching around the edges of the swans is done in black using 50w thread and the inner lines of the swans are sewn on using a 25w thread. The block measures 10” square. This block is Lesley Bloomer’s (now Stewart-Gammie) representation of Shetland. Her father was a junior Doctor in Shetland in 1980 when Lesley was born. As a baby she was given a charm bracelet by her Godmother with the three nornes as her first charm. Lesley lives and teaches in Edinburgh.

ALY BAIN is Shetland’s best known export and world renowned fiddler. Aly travels the world, sometimes with accordion player Phil Cunningham, sharing his passion not only for the fiddle but for Shetland’s fiddle tunes. Aly and I are “of an age” and I remember him starting out at the side of the late great on stage at the Garrison Theatre and afterwards at the party in Hayfield Hotel. Aly’s block is represented by a musical score which is drawn on and then embroidered and a photograph of his fiddle which has been bonded on and then sewn around. The block measures 10” square. Aly grew up in Russell Crescent in Lerwick but now lives in Edinburgh.

ALAN BEATTIE is a medical doctor and lives and works in Lower Halstow nr Sittingbourne in Kent. He was born and brought up in St Olaf Street in Lerwick. Alan is one of the founder members of the Shetland Family History Society where he is currently editor of their newsletter “Coontin’ Kin”. His block is made from two pieces of background fabric representing sky and ground with a tree coming through. The tree is bondaweb onto the background fabric and then the leaves are sewn on individually. The photographs are printed onto paper backed fabric and put through an ordinary ink jet printer then sewn on.

A PLEA TO ALL POTENTIAL HAMEFARER’S ......

“““HELP“HELP ME FINISH THE QUILTQUILT””””

It is my intention to gather blocks from all over the world and to put them together to make a quilt which will be taken home to Shetland and gifted to the people of Shetland as a thank you for their kind invitation to return home and celebrate our connections with them. Whether we were born in the islands, if our ancestors came from Shetland many years ago or whether we lived or worked in Shetland for a time I know we will be made welcome.

All quilt blocks should be no bigger than 10” square. They can be any size or shape other than that and can be in any colour. However, it would help if you could make it in cotton. If you would like to provide a block but can’t sew then don’t despair. I have contacts all over the world who will be delighted to help make a block for you.

There is no money or grants involved in this project. We are simply giving back to our beloved Shetland. Let’s celebrate what Shetland means to us by finishing this quilt. A wee story about who you are, what connection you have with Shetland and what your quilt block represents would be helpful. All blocks should be sent to: Mrs Ann Hill Mouswald House, Mouswald, Dumfries DG1 4LT , UK NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 2009 (but as soon as possible)

Email: [email protected] Tel: 01387 830638